Crib



Dec. 4, 1951 w. J. MCNABB 2,577,257

CRIB

Filed Dec. 15, 1945 SHEETS -SHEET l E r I\ u: m a

m [N VEN TOR.

Walter J, McJVbb BY HTTY5 Dec. 4, 1951 W. J. M NABB CRIB F iled Dec.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR Walter J McjVabb Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED PATENT ()FFI'CE can;

Walter J. M'cNabb, Delhi, Califl, .assignor, by inesn'e assignments, of one-half to William R.

Gochrane-,-Delhi,Ga1if.

Aiiplicatib'n December 15, 1945, seriai No. 635,262

.22 Claims. (01. -11.)

This invention isfdiredted genera-in to an in: proved infants crib.

One object of the present invention is to pro-- vide an infants crib having a vertically adjustable mattress frame whereby the bed-of the crib may be elevated to a plane, for conveniently attending the inf-ant, adjacent the top of the crib; there being a novel, manually actuated mechanism operative to elevate the mattress frame, and to control lowering thereof to its normally down posit-ion.

Another object of this invention is to provide elevating mechanism, in the preceding paragraph, which includes a crank operated, mainly hooded, Windlass assembly, of practical, compact design, mounted on one end of the crib and coupled in operative relation to the vertically adjustable mattress frame or the -e-rib.

A further object of the present inventibn is to provide a convenient and ready latching unit arranged to releasably secure the Windlass assembly against rotation in any selected position of vertical adjustment of the mattress frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device, "and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the .purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accoinplish'ed by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as 'Will fully appear by a. perusal bf the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts-in the several views;

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an infants crib embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation, with the hood in section, of the Windlass assembly.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section en-line li -=3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the crib is indicated generally at H; the head and foot of said crib being indicated generally at 2 and 3, respectively.

The head 2 of the crib includes a pair of posts 4 which are hollow for a substantial portion of their length, whereby to form vertical channels 5 therein. Similarly the foot 3 of the crib includes a pair of end posts 6 likewise hollow for a substantial portion of their lengths to provide vertical channels 1 therein.

The crib includes a vertically movable mattress frame 8 having ears 9 at the corners thereof;

the ears adjacent the head of the bed projecting into the vertical channels 5 of corresponding posts 4 through vertical s'lots It in said posts, whilethe ears 9 adjacent the foot of the bed project into the vertical channels I of the posts 6 through vertical slots I I therein. The mattress frame 8 is thus guided, for vertical movement or adjustment, from a normallydown position to an elevated position, as follows:

A hand-crank actuated Windlass assembly, indicated generally at l-2, is mounted horizontally and extends across the head 2 of the crib adjacent but'below the top thereof. The Windlass assembly comprises a substantially semi-circular hood disposed horizontally and having top and bottom flanges l3 and M, respectively, fixed to the head of the crib.

A horizontal shaft l5 extends through the hood 12 from end to end thereof, "being 'rot'atably supported, adjacent opposite ends, by the end plates 86 of said hood. The ends of the shaft l5 extend a short distance outwardly of the plates l6, and a drop type crank handle t! is interchangeably connected with one or the other of said projecting ends of the shaft 15.

Within the hood 12 adjacent the end plates l6 and in alinement with the vertical channels 5 of the end posts 4, the shaft is lifted with spools or drums [8. The drums 1 's are of mm diameter that on the inner side thereof they project into corresponding vertical channels 5 through openings is formed in the adjacent face of said corresponding end posts 4. Thus, a eripheral portion of each drum [8 runs within the corresponding vertical channel 5.

A pair of small-diameter, flexible wire ropes 20 are. secured to the drums 1'8 and depend therefrom in'corresponding vertical channels 5- to connection with the ears 9 therein. Another pair of small-diameter, flexible w-ir'e ropes 2i are connected to the drums l8 and depend there-from in corresponding channels 5 about directionchanging pulleys 22 in the lower ends of said channels. From the pulleys 22 the pair of wire ropes 2| extend lengthwise of the crib below the lowermost position of the mattress frame 8. Said wire ropes enter the vertical channels 1 in the end posts 6 below the mattress frame 8, thence pass about direction-changing pulleys 23 in the bottom of channels 1, and extend upwardly therein.

Adjacent the top of channels 1 the wire ropes 2| extend over direction-changing pulleys 24, and thence depend to connection with the ears 9 which project into said channels 1.

By reason of the above described arrangement of the wire ropes 20 and 2|, rotation of the shaft l5 by the hand crank H in one direction will cause said wire ropes to wind onto the drums l8, raising the mattress frame 8, while maintaining the same horizontal. Reverse rotation lowers the frame.

The mattress frame 8, which supports the infants bed, is releasably maintained in any selective position of vertical adjustment by means of a latching unit which includes a ratchet wheel'- 25 fixed on the shaft [5 between the drums l8, and an upstanding holding pawl 26 pivoted, as at 21, in connection with theihood and projecting to a termination thereabove for manual access. The holding pawl is shown in its latched or holding position in full lines, and in its released position in dotted lines, in Fig. 4. The pawl is past dead-center when in released position and will thus maintain said position until manually swung to holding position. The ratchet wheel 25 overruns the pawl 26, when the latter is in its holding position, upon rotation of the shaft I5 and drums 13 in a direction to raise the mattress frame 8, whereby when said frame is raised to a selected elevated position and the hand crank I1 released, the latching unit automatically functions to prevent lowering of said mattress frame until the pawl 26 is manually released.

This invention provides an effective and practical manner of adjusting the vertically movable mattress frame of a crib, whereby a mother or other attendant can raise the mattress-frame supported infants bed from a normally lowered position to a raised position adjacent the top of the crib, for convenience of attending to the infant.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a crib including a vertically movable mattress frame, a shaft journaled in connection with and extending across one end of the crib, a handcrank on one end of the shaft, spaced drums on the shaft, said one end of the crib having end posts hollow for a portion of their length, the

drums having a peripheral portion projecting into corresponding ones of said hollow posts, a system of flexible wire ropes connected between the drums and mattress frame, said system extending in part through the hollow portions of said end posts and being operative to raise or con trol lowering of said frame upon rotation of the shaftin one direction or the other, and a hood mainly enclosing the assembly of the shaft and the drums; there being a holding pawl and ratchet unit in the hood cooperating with the shaft operative to releasably prevent rotation of the shaft in said other direction, a portion of the pawl being accessible from exteriorly of the hood for manual release.

2. In a crib which includes hollow end posts and a mattress frame movable vertically relative to such posts, a mechanism for raising and permitting lowering of such mattress frame, such mechanism including a shaft journaled on and extending transversely of the posts at one end of the crib and outside thereof, a hand lever connected with the shaft and operative to rotate the shaft, means for releasably locking the shaft against rotation, a pair of spaced apart drums on the shaft, each drum lying adjacent one of the posts and having a portion of its periphery projecting into the hollow part of the post, and a flexible cable system interposed between the drums and mattress frame and operative to raise or permit the frame to lower upon rotation of the drums in one direction or the other; said cable system including one pair of cables interposed between the drums and the end of the mattress frame immediately below the drum, a pulley in each of the shaft carrying posts below each drum and below the mattress frame, vertically spaced pulleys in each of the posts at the opposite end of the crib, and another pair of cables, such latter cables being reeved first around the pulleys below the drums, thence around the lower pulleys in said posts at the other end of the crib, thence over the upper pulleys in said last named posts, and thence being anchored to the adjacent end of the mattress frame.

WALTER. J. MCNABB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

